Clients, Friends and Colleagues:
If you are a cannabis business, trade association, healthcare stakeholder, researcher, advocate, ancillary business, or otherwise involved in the cannabis industry, you may be affected by federal marijuana rescheduling by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). If you want your views reflected in the administrative record, the immediate priority is to assess whether and how to submit a notice to participate (“Notice to Participate”) and, if selected, how to craft and present persuasive written and/or oral testimony during these hearings. Keep reading the below alert for key deadlines, filing instructions, and practical guidance on participation in these hearings.
In accordance with the DEA’s proposed rule-making promulgated on April 28, 2026 (“Hearing Notice”), the DEA’s hearing on the proposed rescheduling of marijuana will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET on June 29, 2026, at the DEA Hearing Facility, 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, and conclude no later than July 15, 2026.
This is a rare and consequential opportunity to influence the administrative record in a proceeding that could materially shape the future trajectory of federal cannabis policy. If you have a meaningful stake in the outcome you should be acting now to preserve your voice in the process and ensure your position is presented clearly, credibly, and effectively.
Under the DEA’s Hearing Notice, interested persons are urged to submit a Notice to Participate in such hearings by May 24, 2026. Although the Hearing Notice appears to include conflicting deadlines of May 24, 2026 and May 28, 2026, we would recommend submitting your Notice to Participate by the earlier date. Paper submissions of the Notice to Participate must be postmarked on or before May 20, 2026.
To ensure proper handling of your Notice to Participate by the DEA, all correspondence should reference “Docket No. DEA-1362.” Electronic Notices to Participate should be sent to [email protected]. Paper Notices to Participate should be sent by regular or express mail should be addressed to Drug Enforcement Administration, Attn: Administrator, 8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152.
The Notice to Participate should clearly address your interest in the proceeding, the position you seek to present, and the issues or subject matter you intend to address, along with any other information required by the Hearing Notice and applicable DEA hearing procedures. Interested persons will be notified whether they have been selected to participate in the rescheduling hearings by June 22, 2026.
For further information, please see the DEA’s Hearing Notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/28/2026-08177/schedules-of-controlled-substances-rescheduling-of-marijuana.
These rescheduling hearings will move quickly. You should be prepared not only to submit a timely notice, but also to develop persuasive testimony and supporting materials on an expedited timeline if selected.
Rudick Law Group is ready to help.
Rudick Law Group (“RLG”) offers clients a rare combination of cannabis regulatory insight, legalization experience, and policy-driven advocacy that is well suited for this proceeding. We advise clients across the cannabis industry on high-stakes regulatory matters and understand how to translate business, scientific, policy, and community concerns into persuasive positions that can withstand scrutiny in an administrative forum.
The firm recently welcomed as of counsel Shaleen Title, a former cannabis regulator from Massachusetts, whose firsthand government experience brings immediate value to clients navigating this process. Her addition to a team of other attorneys who have helped drive legalization efforts and advance social-equity-focused initiatives gives RLG a sophisticated understanding of the legal, commercial, and public-interest dimensions of cannabis reform. As a result, we understand how regulators evaluate submissions, how hearing strategy can affect credibility, and how to prepare testimony that is both practical and persuasive.
That insight can be critical for clients seeking to present positions that are not only compelling in substance, but also responsive to the procedural and institutional realities of the DEA hearing process. Effective participation in this hearing will require you to do more than simply take a position; it will require you to present a disciplined narrative grounded in regulatory and political awareness, industry realities, and the broader policy consequences at stake.
RLG can help you navigate each stage of the process, including:
• evaluating whether and how to participate;
• preparing and submitting notices to participate;
• developing participation strategy and key positions;
• drafting and refining testimony and supporting submissions; and
• preparing witnesses to testify effectively if selected by the DEA.
Whether you are seeking to protect existing business interests, advance research or healthcare perspectives, support reform efforts, or ensure that social equity concerns are meaningfully represented, RLG is positioned to help shape a clear, credible, and effective presentation.
This is a meaningful opportunity to be heard. If you are considering participation in the DEA marijuana rescheduling hearing, RLG is prepared to support you immediately and help shepherd you through the process from notice to testimony. Contact us at [email protected].
— RLG
Get this news direct to your inbox 🪄
Did someone forward this to you? Stay in touch with the Rudick Law Group.
Need legal help that doesn’t kill the vibe? Visit our website contact page here.
To stop receiving our emails, unsubscribe at any time using the link below.
